All rights reserved, unauthorized copying, reproduction,
hiring, lending, redistribution and broadcast of this
e-book or any part of the contents is prohibited.
copyright G C Hargreaves 2012

month eleven

Week One
Fifth chords and power chords
Fifth chords are the chords most used in rock and grunge or just to create power and
because of this they are also known as the power chords. We have already used power
by their correct name 5th chords. With fifth chords their is no difference between major or
minor chords and this makes life easier when writing music using 5th chords.

Fifth chord theory.

The fifth chord only has two notes in its structure, the FIRST (root) note and the FIFTH note,
hense the name.
When two notes make up a chord, it is called a diad.

C major scale

1

2

3

4

C D E

5

6

F G A

1st

7

8

B C

5th

The C5 diad is C and G

Why there is no major or minor fifth chord
A major scale

1

A

2

3

4

B C# D

1st
A minor scale

1

5

6

7

E F# G# A

8

5th
2

3

4

A B C D E
1st

5

6

7

F G A

8

You can see clearly that
the note that makes the
difference between the
major and minor chord
is the thir d, so if we
r emov e the thi r d, the
two chor ds can no
longer be differentiated
between.

5th

Between the major and the minor triad the 3rd is the only note that changes however the
third is not used in when playing a fith chord. Below you can see that the he A5 diad
consists of only A and E.

XX

A X

fret 5

X X X

A

E A
A E
copyright G C Hargreaves 2012

some open fifth chords
G5

X

A5

XX

X

X

1

X

D5

X

1

2
4 3

C5

E5

XX

XXX

2 1

1
4

2

3

3

With the above G5 and C5 chords you will notice silent strings in the middle of the chord.
These notes should be muted. To achieve this, let a finger rest on the string to be muted
or allow a finger on an adjacent string to hang over and rest on the string to be muted.
This will take some practise because you need to maintain pressure on the fingered note
at the same time as muting the string next to it.

exercises
fifth barre chords
try the following exercises, using barre chords. Remember that the underlined chords are
second position.
First position shape
(E rooted)

XXX

Second position shape
(A rooted)

XX

1

1

X

3

3

exercise 1

A5

D5

exercise 2

A5

Db5

exercise 3

A5

D5

A5

D5

G5
F5

C5

Cb5
C5

A5

A5
A5
D5

D5
Db5
F5

E5
G5
C5

Cb5
G5

A5

A5

Note;
These exercises are repeated in a tablature form on the next page, however by
trying them first without the tablature

copyright G C Hargreaves 2012

exercise 1
A5
7
7
5

D5
7
7
5

5

7
7
5

C5
5
5
3

A5

7
7
5

7
7
5

5

7
7
5

7
7
5

A5
5
5
3

3

5
5
3

D5

5

7
7
5

7
7
5

7
7
5

D5

7
7
5

7
7
5

5

7
7
5

7
7
5

5

7
7
5

E5

5

7
7
5

9
9
7

7
7
5

exercise 2
A5

G5

Db5
6
6
4

7
7
5

Cb5

A5

4
4
2

5
5
3

7
7
5

7
7
5

exercise 3
A5
7
7
5

F5

D5
7
7
5

7
7
5

7
7
5

3
3
1

C5
3
3
1

5
5
3

A5
5
5
3

7
7
5

G5
5
5
3

D5
7
7
5

7
7
5

F5
7
7
5

3
3
1

C5
3
3
1

5
5
3

5
5
3

A5
5
5
3

5
5
3

5
5
3

5
5
3

5
5
3

5
5
3

7
7
5

5
5
3

7
7
5

The tie and slur symbol
This symbol means that two or more notes are joined together. If a note carries across
from one bar to another then this symbol will show that it is one note, and when this
happens the symbol is called a tie. If a note is slid or hammered to another note so the
guitar string is only picked once for the two notes then the slur symbol will occur.

intro - one - two - one - three - one - one - one - one - two - one - two
copyright G C Hargreaves 2012

5
3

5
3

5
3

month eleven

Week Three
pulling off
Pulling off is in effect the reverse of hammering on. To pull off you have to pluck the string
with your left hand (fingering hand) as you take your finger off the note, remembering to
have the next finger in place to allow the note to ring.
P

.

example

7

To pull off fr om the 7th fr et to the 5th fr et as is
required by this tab. Place both the first and third
finger in place then play the 7th fret note. Soon after
pull the third finger away plucking the string as it
leaves.

5

exercises
Note.
publisher of the music you are reading. The difference is only small and the meaning is
the same.

exercise 1

Second finger to first finger.

P

6

5

P

6

P

P

5

P

6

5

exercise 2

6

5

6

P

6

P

5

P

6

6

5

5

6

P

6

5
P

P

P

5

6

5

5

6

5

third finger to fist finger.

P

7

5

P

7

P

5

7

5

P

7

copyright G C Hargreaves 2012

5

P

7

5

P

7

5

exercise 3 Fourth finger to first finger.
P

8

5

P

8

exercise 4

5

H

6

P

5

8

8

P

5

8

P

5

8

5

pentatonic scale

H

3

P

3

H

5

3

5

3

H

H

H

3

5

3

6

6

P

6

3

P

6

P

3

5

P

3

5

P

3

5

P

3

6

3

exercise 5
H

5

H

H

8

5

6

H

7

7

5

5

H

H

H

7

5

8

8

P

H

5

8

8

5

P

8

P

P

5

8

7

5

P

7

5

P

P

7

6

5

P

8

5

Note.

in this exercise you are having to hammer on and pull off two notes in a row. This can
be very difficult, especially in pulloffs, so be patient and practise this exercise over
several weeks or months if necessary.

Week Four
Using a plectrum
1. Bend your fingers into a fist.
2. Lift the thumb but leave the fingers bent.
3. Place the plectrum on the first knuckle of your index finger so that it points
towards the guitar.
4. Hold the plectrum firmly in place using your thumb and adjust it.
For stability and to aid with locating the strings without looking down, some players either
rest the hand or arm on the guitar. Another approach to to rest your fingers on the guitar,
scratchplate or place your little finger on a pickup if you have an electric guitar.

BEC

BEC

BEC!

BEC"

Plectrum directions
W hen using a plectrum it is a important to get use to playing alternating plectrum
directions. down, up, down, up etc. By playing alternating plectrum directions you will
find that your playing is faster, smoother and more accurate. We have been using arrows
to show down and up strums, however the correct way to denote plectrum directions is
this;

DOWN UP

These shape come from
a violin bow where the
tip is pointed and the
tail is square shaped